Some techniques for image search regarding image (moving image) contents are proposed hereunder.
When the result of the search for images regarding an image content is to be displayed, it is customary to display an image of the first frame of the content obtained through the search as well as representative images of that content. Alternatively, if frames corresponding to a search image are detected from the content as a result of the search, these frames may be displayed.
Also, there exist techniques which, given a list of search results, allow retrieved contents to be selectively reproduced for image verification, such as described in, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Application 2003-289487.
Furthermore, in the process of editing a content, a timeline display indicating the waveform of an audio signal of the content along the temporal axis has been used in recent years to let the user better recognize the temporal length and reproduction position of the content being edited.